The English Premier League seems to be slipping away from Chelsea as they  were held to a 0-0 draw by Everton on Wednesday.

Guus Hiddink‘s side couldn’t break down a stubborn Everton rearguard action at Stamford Bridge and look destined to miss out on the English crown for a third successive season. The west London club are six points behind leaders Manchester United, who returned to the top of the table with a 2-0 victory over Portsmouth, and Sir Alex Ferguson’s team can make the gap nine points with a win in their game in hand.

After being frustrated by Everton, Chelsea will see the Champions League, where they face Barcelona in the semi-finals, and the FA Cup as their best hopes of giving Hiddink a successful send-off before he returns to his role as Russia coach on a full-time basis. Judging by the evidence of this FA Cup final dress rehersal, Chelsea will have to raise their game considerably to beat David Moyes’ team at Wembley.

Moyes’ men arrived in west London basking in the afterglow of Sunday’s victory over United, which booked their first FA Cup final appearance for 14 years. In a bid to combat the debilitating effects of extra-time at Wembley, Moyes made four changes to his team, with defender Phil Jagielka, scorer of the winning penalty in the shoot-out, relegated to the bench.

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